Stockist Spotlight: Chez Bec

Can you take a second to introduce yourself to my readers who may not have come across you and your brand before….

Chez Bec was founded in 2006 by Rebecca (the Bec in the brand name!) who was a City lawyer sick of working all the hours in the world for someone else. It became a bridal only brand in 2007, and has not looked back! Harriet had been a designer and maker for the business since the start, but in 2013 started running things on a day to day basis, and in the Autumn 2013 bought into the business and became joint owner (as her youngest daughter had just started school, it was that or another baby… Chez Bec’s become her adopted child!).

Why did you decide to concentrate your efforts on the wedding industry?

Becks decided to start designing and stocking bridal jewellery after her own wedding and it really went from there! From founding as a designer jewellery online boutique, within a year Chez Bec had found its place and went to bridal only. Really, we wouldn’t be anywhere else (Becks also owns Isabella Grace, award winning bridal boutique too). We both love weddings. Fact. Everything about them, so it feels pretty natural to run wedding businesses, there is nothing better than helping a bride and making up a tiny part of her special day. And the emails and photos we get through make us smile and makes everything worthwhile.

Please let us know what inspires you and gets the creative juice flowing?

It’s a really collaborative process. Harriet is a woman obsessed by vintage styling and design (she really is, she’s not just saying that! Her vintage handbags, shoes, and clothes, not to mention jewellery are a thing to behold – just as well she had daughters). Becks is the yin to her creative yang, reminding her often that while something might be beautiful the accessories need to not be too niche. Obviously trends are important, but we want our brides to be able to wear their jewellery forever, so there’s a timeless element to our designs, and certainly you can’t get any more classic than pearls!

Which designs in your collection are your top picks and when do they spring to mind?
Lady Mary. She’s my favourite tiara ever. And I have a soft spot for Penelope too who launches next year. We both love the new hair flowers for this year as well.

Do you have any tips for our brides on choosing the right hair accessories for their special day?
Be yourself. Never over-complicate things because you think you should. First of all decide how you want to wear your hair – might seem obvious, but the headpiece or pins you would want for a formal up do is probably a world away from the headband you would wear for a flowing boho look. Choose your style, then choose how to make it sing….

What makes a great piece of bridal jewellery?

There’s no magic formula – it’s totally down to personal taste. One person’s pearl studs are another person’s statement diamante earrings. Be yourself!

Could you tell us more about the bespoke service at Chez Bec?
I (Harriet) make almost everything in our ranges, so can tweak any chain length, any flower centre, any headband design to suit if not totally perfect. We also offer a design service… sometimes we like things so much that we tweak it a little and add it to the collection… that’s where our Sophie Gatsby bracelet came from. And our Pandora backlace. And the new Penelope range!

Are there any future projects in the pipeline that you would like to tell us about?

There are always new collections in the pipeline! And exciting offers and collaborations… and we’re very excited about our latest photo shoot, but nothing more solid than that! Unless you count a website redesign?!

What are your business goals for the next 12 months?

To carry on what we’re doing, and to keep our service levels and delivery times up there exceeding our Brides expectations. To enjoy every moment of it. To collaborate with some brilliant designers in the industry, and to keep smiling (yes, that’s a business goal!). Smiling writing an email makes a difference to what you write.

Some people are daunted about the prospect of leaving their 9-5 jobs and venturing out into the unknown to start their own business. Do you have any words of advice for my readers who are looking to take the plunge?

Plan. Make sure you know what you have to achieve. And then go with the flow. Things change, businesses evolve, but work hard, and don’t expect it to be easy. It’s amazing, but having your own business is certainly not the easy option! I think we’d both say without hesitation that despite the long hours, the stress and the sleepless nights, it’s the best thing we’ve ever done.